Nottingham Forest star Taiwo Awoniyi in induced coma following emergency surgery on near-fatal injury against Leicester

Awoniyi crashed into the goalpost alongside Leicester player Facundo Buonanotte during a Premier League clash on Sunday. The Forest star received extensive medical treatment and returned to action shortly before being taken off. Forest could not bring in a replacement as they had already used their last available substitution, which left the club with 10 men on the pitch. After the match, owner Evangelos Marinakis was seen furiously confronting manager Nuno Espirito Santo, however, the club later released a statement, claiming that he was concerned about Awoniyi's condition.

The Daily Mail reports that Awoniyi is now in induced coma following an emergency on what has been described as a near-fatal abdominal injury. The report added that the initial signs are that the surgery was successful and the 27-year-old is now recovering.

The initial reaction from Marinakis on the pitch drew criticism from all quarters, as Manchester United legend and pundit Gary Neville urged Espirito Santo to leave the club, labelling the incident as scandalous.

Forest are without a win in their last four matches and will be aiming to keep their Champions League hopes alive by beating West Ham on Sunday. A week later, they face Chelsea in their final game of the season.